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LOT 2402
African Mangbetu Bone Hair Ornament
CONGO, EARLY 20TH CENTURY A.D.
7 1/2 in. (17 grams, 19 cm).
Formed from a slender long bone with crenellated head and smoothed shank, incised ring-and-dot ornament; repaired. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom a family collection mostly formed in the 1940s-1950s, thence by descent.
CONDITIONTimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
AUCTIONS:
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Large Sepik Papuan Healing Figure Fragments
20th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £13
Various types, one with old collector's label 'Big Healing Figure / Sepik Papua New Guinea / 1970 purchase / New Guinea Tribal Art / Netherlands'. 1.68 kg total, 5.8-14.5 cm
Acquired 1970. From a collection acquired on the UK art market from various auction houses and collections mostly before 2000. From an important Cambridgeshire estate; thence by descent. -
Tellem Culture Ceramic Footed Base
Mali, circa 11th-13th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £20
Broad domed base with three radiating ribbed legs supporting a dished plaque. 690 grams, 11 cm
From a family collection mostly formed in the 1940s-1950s, thence by descent. -
Maori Trawling Lure Fish Hook
New Zealand, 18th-19th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,300
An Oceanic fish-hook comprising a D-section wooden shank with polished shell panel (the lure) and barbed bone hook attached with twine. 15.9 grams, hook: 90 mm
From the private collection of Kenneth Machin (1936-2020), Buckinghamshire, UK; his collection of antiquities and natural history was formed since 1948; thence by descent.
This Maori trolling lure fish hook (pā kahawai) comprises three pieces – a worked piece of polished haliotis or paua shell attached to a curved, wooden shank, and then a carved long barb. Each of the segments is held in place by tightly bound muka fibre. Such lures were used by the Maori to fish for sea salmon (kahawai). The lure would be dragged behind a fast-moving canoe to attract the prey with the haliotis shell glinting in the sun to emulate the scales of fish to attract larger fish. The technique of using a trolling lure was a Polynesian fishing technique that was brought to New Zealand by the Maori and adapted using local materials.
